1. The religion of the Aztec people was prominent in other aspects of Aztec civilization, including the military and political ones. According to the Aztecs, “war was an article of religious faith” (McKay 276). The religion of the Aztecs gave them an advantage over surrounding groups in Mexico because they held this view. War was seen as a religious duty and a way to pay homage to the gods. The Aztecs believed that the god Huitzilopochtli needed human blood to keep the sun moving. The sun was the most important of all because it is “the source of all life” (McKay 276). Human sacrifice fueled everything behind what the Aztecs did. The Aztecs believed that the world would end if they did not sacrifice humans to the gods. War was also an avenue through which to obtain human sacrifices for the gods. The Aztecs would conquer surrounding groups and use them as sacrifices to the gods. Other candidates for human sacrifice included tributes from conquered groups, defeated generals, corrupt judges, and others. Human sacrifice even determined the social status of young people. During Aztec wars against neighboring groups, young Aztec soldiers were encouraged to take enemy prisoners for human sacrifice. If that young soldier had captured his first prisoner, he would have earned the title "iyac" or warrior. In later campaigns, if the warrior captured four enemies, he would be a tequiua and a member of the nobility. This also works against the warrior in case he fails to capture prisoners, he would join the maceualtin or the working class. Captives acquired from Aztec wars and imperial expansions were also used in future battles as warriors. Many warriors in the Aztec army were composed of individuals... middle of paper... Now that everyone had to compete for civil service positions, a new class was formed called the scholar-official class. These educated individuals eliminated most “aristocratic habits and prejudices” (McKay 335). The development of movable type reduced the costs of producing books, thus increasing the circulation of literature, thus promoting the spread of literacy. This helped people compete in the examination system by becoming educated. This education was also used in other ways, such as promoting the arts, collecting books for libraries, science, and medicine. China's prime minister, Sima Guang, "wrote a narrative history of China from the Warring States period to the founding of the Song dynasty" (McKay 336). This is just one of many examples of China's growing prosperity during this period. Works Cited History of World Societies